The present invention relates to a device which can be used to protect an upright sprinkler on a water sprinkler system or an irrigation system. he present invention further relates to an irrigation unit that includes a protective device and a sprinkler. The present invention further relates to an irrigation system for commercial use on small or large scale area of land. Finally, the invention relates to a method of use of such an irrigation system.
Irrigation systems used in agriculture (including horticulture and silviculture) are enormous in variety. The large xe2x80x9cgunxe2x80x9d irrigation systems for agriculture have the advantage of being able to irrigate a large amount of land in a short space of time, as do the totally wheeled irrigation systems that can move across an entire paddock, usually under the water pressure of the water system operating them.
However such systems require a major amount of labour or large vehicles or other equipment in order to move the system from one paddock to another, or to another part of the same paddock. Such systems also require a large irrigation well for the high volume of water that is put through them. Such systems have the further disadvantages that the water runoff from the land irrigated can be high, as a great deal of water is placed on the land in a short space of time. Thus not all the water landing is efficiently used. Additionally, evaporation and/or hot or windy conditions can further reduce the efficiency of the irrigation technique.
In addition to the equipment needed or time needed to move such equipment, the capital cost of the investment in irrigation equipment is high and inappropriate for small holdings or some types of agriculture.
Small irrigation systems with low-volume low-pressure sprinkler heads (for example, for smaller commercial holdings) are known. For example, low-volume low-pressure sprinkler heads and rigid fixed pipes are known. The pipes are generally of aluminium alloy or similar material, and between 6 to 15 metres in length. Sprinkler heads are placed at the junctions between adjacent pipes. Generally the systems is left to run for between 2 and 48 hours in the one line for adequate irrigation of a small section of a paddock.
However this system has the disadvantage that each length of pipe has to be moved manually from one site to the next site to be irrigated and the whole system has to be reconnected at the next site. Removal of the system from the paddock generally requires storage of the pipes on a specialist trailer or other device, Further, close by crops can interfere with the spray from a low sprinkler head, reducing irrigation coverage.
If such systems are not properly set up at each shift, it is possible, for sprinkler heads to fall over. Such systems therefore need both time and attention before the system is restarted. If such time and attention is not taken, there is a reduction in the coverage and in irrigation efficiency.
A further disadvantage of this system is that as the lengths of pipe are moved from one site to the next, there is always the danger of damage to the sprinkler heads as the pipes are disconnected, moved and reconnected.
European Patent 190792 describes an irrigation system including a hose with sprinklers attached at intervals to it. A cage protects each sprinkler so that the hose may be wound and unwound from a reel without damaging the sprinkler heads. Under the application of water pressure the sprinkler head is pushed above the cage into an operating position. To stow the hose the water pressure must be reduced, allowing the head to slide back within the cage. One disadvantage of this system is the added complexity of the valving and sprinkler head required to perform the raising and lowering of the sprinkler. A further disadvantage is the fact that the if the hose is moved when the sprinkler is operating the extended sprinkler head is vulnerable to damage and the protective cage itself is vulnerable to being snagged. A yet further disadvantage is that a large reel, most conveniently power operated, is required to store a useful length or hose. Another disadvantage is the difficulty of moving a large reel, most likely requiring the reel to be adapted to fit a vehicle. Still another disadvantage of this system is that the hose material must conform to the diameter of the reel and any resulting twisting in the hose may cause misalignment of the sprinkler when the hose is unwound, or damage to the hose.
An object of the present invention is the provision of means to protect sprinkler heads. It is further object of the invention to provide an irrigation system which overcomes the disadvantages of the irrigation systems described above. A further object of the invention is the provision of an irrigation system that is useable to any commercial size whilst at the same time providing for an initial small capital outlay.
It is a still further object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.
For the purposes of this specification, but without limitation thereto, the tern xe2x80x98waterxe2x80x99 is used to refer to: water as such, fluid effluent, agricultural, commercial, industrial and residential wastes, all of which are capable of being pumped and conveyed in a piped reticulation system, and all of which are capable of being sprayed from low or high pressure spray devices. Thus, the term water may additionally include a fluid with a high concentration of dissolved material and/or suspended particles (as may be found, for example, in any type of effluent).
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for the protection of a water sprinkler head for a water delivery system which is operable at a predetermined pressure and volume, said device including:
a base adapted to slide over ground terrain;
clamping means to releasably clamp said device to a water pipe which provides water to said sprinkler head;
at least two sides, or portions of sides, which are opposite each other and oriented in line with the direction of the said water pipe, said sides are secured to said base and protrude substantially above any moving part of said head; and
means to releasably secure each sprinkler head to the device; wherein
said releasably securing means also supplies a water path between the pipe and the sprinkler head;
a water jet from a sprinkler head inside the device does not impinge upon the sides of the device at said predetermined pressure and volume; and
said device protects said head from damage by impact with another object either when said device is stationary and said head is either rotating or stationary, or when said device is moving over ground terrain and said head is either rotating or stationary.
Preferably the sides of said device are shaped. Preferably said sprinkler head is of known type: upright and self-rotating. Preferably, the sides of the device encircle the sprinkler head. Preferably, the base and the sides are formed integrally, the sides being arcuate in cross-section. Preferably, the device is approximately in the shape of a bowl with a flat base on the underside thereof.
The water pipe may either pass through the walls of the device, or within a shaped channel on the underside of the device.
Optionally, the means to release the clamping of the device to the water pipe (or vice versa) is a saddle clamp. This can be in one or more parts, along the pipe or either side of the sprinkler head. Preferably, the means to releasably secure the upright sprinkler head to the pipe and to the device is a tapping saddle, of known type but adapted to fit within the device. The tapping saddle and the clamping release means may optionally be combined.
Alternatively, the means to releasably secure both the device and the sprinkler head to the water pipe includes a shaped saddle over the top of the pipe about the sprinkler head. The saddle is secured about the pipe by a bolt which passes through the shaped base and is securable about the pipe and to the saddle.
The adaptation of the base, for sliding along or on the ground terrain, may optionally include skids or other additional means to assist the device in sliding along and/or over the ground.
Preferably the device is made of plastics or substantially of plastics. Preferably, the device is formed by a moulding technique, most preferably the device is formed by rotomoulding. However, the device may also be made from other material, for example, wood, metal or metal alloys.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an irrigation system which includes:
a length of piping with two ends, a first end being adapted to releasably connect to either another length of piping or to a water source, the second end of the piping being adapted either to be releasably attachable to another length of piping or to be releasably attachable to a closed end; and
a plurality of devices as described above, said devices being spaced evenly along the length of flexible piping, with a sprinkler head secured within each device and to said piping;
means attachable to one end of said system for towing said system behind a vehicle; wherein
said system is slidable along the ground in either a straight line or a curve.
Preferably the piping is flexible and is a plastic piping with a diameter in the range 25 mm to 50 mm. Optionally, there is a 15 m spacing between adjacent devices along the length of flexible piping.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of irrigating at least one paddock, said method including the steps of:
(a) provision of at least one irrigation system as described above;
(b) towing said system with a vehicle to a position in a paddock to be irrigated;
(c) connecting said first end to a water outlet source and turning said source on;
(d) leaving said system in place and said water source on for between 2 and 48 hours;
(e) moving said system to a second position in the paddock; and
(f) repeating steps (b) to (e) above until such time as the paddock has been completely irrigated.
Optionally the steps of switching off the water source and reconnecting the second end of the system to a vehicle, before moving the system an d then switching on the water again, are included in the above method.
Preferably said paddock is of a length that is a discrete multiple of the length of said irrigation system. Thus the irrigation system will, if parallel with a fence on a square paddock, irrigate a first part of a paddock along and about one line, and movement of the irrigation system to the other end of the paddock will irrigate in a second half of the paddock along and about one line, and so on.
Preferably, the system and piping are sized such that any repetition of the steps (b) to (e) occurs every 24 hours.
With the towed line system as described above, it will be appreciated that the ground terrain may be selected from: level ground, undulating ground, sloping ground (where the angle of slope is less than 50xc2x0) ground capable of being ploughed, and a combination thereof.